Community Board 8 has formed a Task Force to deal with issues surrounding the Second Avenue Subway. The
MTA will work with the Task Force to deal with questions that have been raised with regard to the construction of
the Second Avenue Subway and other issues connected with this project. The following are questions that were submitted to the MTA at the April 3, 2006 2nd Avenue Subway Task Force meeting. The responses ("bulleted" below) have been provided by the MTA.
1. How will the MTA reimburse buildings on Second Avenue when people injured on their property
because of the Second Avenue Subway construction sue those buildings?
If injuries occur as a result of construction activity, depending on how the injury occurred, either the Contractor or MTA’s insurance will cover it. The injured party would have to make a claim and prove its damages.
2. Will the new subway require a fare increase to pay for its operation once it is completed? If not, how
will the MTA pay for operating another subway line?
No fare increases are planned in order to pay for the operation of the Second Avenue subway. As with the
operation of the transit system as a whole, the operating expenses of the SAS will be paid for by a combination of
revenue sources, including fare revenues and dedicated revenues (including toll revenues and State and Local
Operating Assistance). One can only assume that there will be fare increases in the future, but as a normal course
of business and not tied to the operation of any specific subway line. It should also be noted that the cost of
operating a full-length Second Avenue subway will be a minimal increment to the overall NYC Transit operating
budget, which already includes the cost of operating and maintaining over 6000 subway cars, 468 stations, 648
miles of mainline track, as well as over 4500 local and express buses.
3. Who will respond to complaints during construction?
We will offer a number of options for anyone who might have a question or complaint during construction.
People wishing to register their concerns will be able to do so by contacting our 24-hour telephone hotline and/or
project web site. The Second Avenue Subway Task Force of Community Board 8 will also continue to serve as
the major forum for the discussion of issues associated with the construction of the subway line. The Second
Avenue Subway project team will be available at the meetings of the Task Force to provide information about
upcoming construction work and to respond to concerns raised by the surrounding community.
4. Will the MTA reimburse buildings on Second Avenue for any health related problems caused by the construction?
MTA is undertaking this project in a manner that will not create any health related problems because of
construction. In addition, a comprehensive environmental study was undertaken addressing all elements of this
project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been completed and is available on the MTA
website*.
5. What projects did not receive approval from the City/State because of preference giving to the Second Avenue Subway project?
We know of no projects that did not receive approval from NYC or NY State because of the Second Avenue
Subway project.
6. What is the procedure for a building getting paid for any damages caused by the construction project?
If any damages are caused by construction, a claim, including adequate back-up documentation, can be filed
against the MTA or the Contractor’s insurer.
7. Are all ventilation stations the same? How do they differ? Do they contain different items? Are they all the same size?
By “ventilation stations” we assume that you refer to the ancillary structures generally located at the ends of
each station. These ancillary facilities fulfill a range of functions and house a variety of equipment. This
could include tunnel and station ventilation and air intake shafts, ventilation fans for station and tunnels, air
tempering equipment and electrical power facilities. In addition to these mechanical plant facilities, some
ancillary buildings also house emergency egress stairs leading from the station to the street. No two ancillary
facilities are alike because the needs of the stations they serve are different and the space available varies.
They are individually designed based upon State code requirements, available space and the specific needs of
the station as well as station design features such as depth and width of station, location of track crossovers
and emergency egress requirements.
8. You stated that at 72nd Street the entrances had to be three blocks apart, yet on 96th Street the ancillary buildings appear to be five blocks apart – why is that?
Since 96th Street Station and the immediately adjacent tunnels are cut and cover construction, it is financially
prudent to locate as much as possible of the support facilities required for the operation of the Second Avenue
Subway within this station rather than within the more expensive mined caverns at 72nd or 86th Street Stations.
Because of this, 96th Street Station is almost twice the length of 72nd Street Station. This necessitates that the
above ground ancillary facilities are located farther apart. The entrances, however, will be closer to each other
at 96th Street Station, compared to 72nd Street, as it is close to the surface and 72nd Street is a very deep station.
The greater depth makes the horizontal distance covered by the stair or escalator much longer, thus moving
entrances farther apart. The result is that the entrances at 96th Street Station are two blocks apart while those at
72nd are three blocks apart.
9. What happens to a business that is affected by the subway?
Some businesses will need to be permanently relocated due to the construction; others may be temporarily
inconvenienced due to the construction. We are committed to retaining access to all stores that will remain in
their current location throughout the duration of the construction. Ramps and temporary walkways will be
constructed as needed. Our contractor will coordinate all of this work. All retail stores that will be displaced due to the construction will be assisted by the MTA. We will follow the Federal Regulations as well as the State Eminent Domain Procedure Law (EDPL) guidelines. Businesses will be
paid for the value of their fixtures, will receive financial reimbursements for moving expenses, and for certain reestablishment costs as well as assistance by relocation specialists in finding an alternative location. MTA always exceeds the minimum legal regulatory requirements in assistance in these relocations.
10. Your graphics show no reason why the 72nd Street entrance cannot be extended north to 73rd Street. Why not have an entrance at 73rd Street? There is nothing on 73rd Street! It was stated that three escalators are needed at the southern entrance of 72nd Street Station. Your reasoning for not using options other than 301 E. 69th Street was lack of room for three escalators, yet you’re planning two escalators on the northeast corner of 69th Street. Why then won’t you reconsider other possibilities?
72nd Street is a main cross-town street and the location of important bus routes. It is one of the primary aims to locate entrances on the major cross-streets to facilitate inter-modal transfers for passengers. Three escalators are provided at the 301 East 69th Street entrance from the basement level of the building to the station. From street level to basement we have proposed two escalators and a stair, as three escalators will not fit into the structure. It was considered that in the event of one escalator being out of commission, the short rise to the street from the basement would be satisfactorily accomplished by stair. At other locations the proposals were to have stairs only to the station, which would be impractical because of the depth. Where options were considered having a mix of stairs and escalators they were options that would have required a shallow mezzanine requiring large areas of cut and cover construction at the surface or would have necessitated an alignment for the stair/escalators that would have punctured the crown of the cavern over such a large area as to render the proposal structurally infeasible.
11. Is actual pedestrian access to proposed 69th Street station on 69th Street or on Second Avenue?
The entrance at 69th Street will have doors that access both Second Avenue and 69th Street.
12. What are the proposed procedures/timeframes (frequency) for ongoing testing of air quality and noise levels at ancillary equipment locations, specifically at the northwest 69th Street corner?
This would be post-commissioning testing. Under normal operating conditions, the air generated from the new ventilation structures would be air from the subway’s tunnels and stations, and no ongoing air quality testing is proposed. All ventilation shafts are equipped with noise attenuation. Their noise levels will be within the levels stipulated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
a) Will subcontractors or the MTA be responsible for any damage to property during construction? Will this be written into subcontractor agreements?
Typically, the MTA in its general contracts includes a “flow down” clause wherein the subcontractors are
bound to the terms and conditions of the general contract. That being the case, the subcontractors will most likely be required to provide adequate insurance.
b) What rodent control program is planned during construction?
As described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), construction contracts would include provisions for a rodent (mouse and rat) control program. Before the start of construction, the contractor would survey and bait the appropriate areas and provide for proper site sanitation. During the construction phase, as necessary, the contractor would carry out a maintenance program. Coordination would be maintained with appropriate public agencies. Only U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) registered rodenticides would be permitted, and the contractor would be required to perform rodent control programs in a manner that avoids hazards to persons, domestic animals, and non-target wildlife.
c) Will MTA reimburse building owners for any increased insurance costs that will be required during construction?
Based on our experience handling numerous large-scale construction projects through the City, we do not
anticipate that private property owners will incur additional insurance expenses due to our project. If this
does happen, we will address it on a case-by-case basis.
13. On 245 East 93rd Street how much property is being taken? Why not use the empty lot on the northeast corner of 93rd Street?
The current preliminary engineering design requires an approximate 20 feet by 70 feet of space on the first
(street level) floor within the commercial area (Rainbow Hardware). b. The public mezzanine starts at 96th
Street and extends south to 94th Street – therefore, an entrance at 93rd Street is not feasible since the mezzanine
does not go that far.
14. Originally a spoil shaft was designated on the east side of 66th Street, is this now gone? How will
spoils be removed through station entrances?
As a result of changes in the construction contract packaging, the shaft that was located on the west side of
Second Avenue within the 66th Street Green Street area has been eliminated. Originally the connecting tunnels
between 72nd Street Station and 63rd Street Station were to be constructed using this shaft. After much consideration, one of the tunnels to 63rd Street will now be constructed using the Tunnel Boring Machine and the spoil materials will be transported underground to the 92nd Street launch box area. The second tunnel connecting to 63rd Street has now been added to the scope of the 72nd Street Station Contract. The spoils from that tunnel will be removed through the 69th Street shaft in Second Avenue. These changes will not increase the overall amount of spoils removed from the 92nd Street, 72nd Street and 69th Street shafts from that reported in the FEIS due to the elimination of tunnel boring south of 68th Street along Second Avenue and the reductions in the size of the 72nd Street station and crossover cavern, respectively.
15. When do you expect to get the final FTA approval to begin construction?
December 2006.
16. What protection do you plan to offer during construction phase now that we are in a subway terrorist age? Empty tunnels under buildings where millions of people reside are very good targets. What assurance do we have, we will be safe?
The contractor will be required to protect the work area continuously. MTA’s policy does not allow for discussion of the implementation of security measures.
17. Will the shafts be operating 24 hrs/7days per week during construction? If not, when? Who will monitor the dust/noise levels? Will that monitoring be made available to the public?
As indicated in the FEIS, work at each of the shafts will be done in two general construction phases. The initial
phase, involving excavation of the vertical shafts and the launch box, will be done on two shifts between 7:00 am
and 10:00 pm. Once the shafts are developed to a depth where work can be carried out below grade, work will be
done on three shifts. During the third shift there will be some activity at the surface such as movement of workers
and some materials in and out of the shafts, operation of ventilation equipment and some deliveries. At the
current time, spoil removal is not anticipated between 10 pm and 7 am. With regard to dust, the FEIS discusses measures that must be taken by the contractor to ensure that vehicles leaving the site do not track soil and dirt onto local streets. The contractor will be required to provide wheel washers or other dust control measures. The Resident Engineer and Construction Manager will monitor the
contractor’s operation on a daily basis to ensure that there are adequate dust control measures in place throughout
the construction period. The FEIS also provides limits on noise levels that are acceptable according to the NYCDEP guidelines. Noise levels will be monitored on a random basis to ensure that construction related noise is within 5 dBa of the ambient noise levels in the area. Measures that can be taken to minimize the noise generated by the construction include “whisperized” mufflers on all generators, compressors and cranes, use of flagmen during noise sensitive nighttime hours in lieu of OSHA required back-up alarms, and insulation of work sheds and storage areas.
18. How were the shaft locations determined? Why are there two planned within three blocks (69th and 72nd Streets) and no others?
As stated in the FEIS on page 3-25, two shafts – one each near the limits of the station box – will be required for all stations. In addition, shafts are needed for tunnel spoils removal. For more information about how shaft
locations were selected, see pages 3-22 to 3-42 in the FEIS.
19. How can you plan a station without building plans and full knowledge of residential property and workings at 305 East 72nd Street?
Much of the preliminary engineering work was done using plans that were obtained from the NYC Building Department files when they were available. In many cases there were no plans available or the plans did not reflect the actual as-built conditions. Notices were sent to all affected building owners on multiple occasions in an attempt to gain access to the areas of proposed work. In 2004, a walking door-to-door survey was carried out during which access to some of the buildings was possible. During these inspections, measurements were madeand photos were taken. If there were plans available, copies of the plans were made. Access to approximately 25% of the buildings was obtained as a result of this survey. From this survey, generic building configurations were developed which were applied to buildings of similar types. With respect to 305 East 72nd Street, several attempts to contact the building owners and managers were not successful. We are continuing to attempt to gain access into the building as we progress in final design.
20. Please describe what will happen at the northwest corner of 63rd Street and Third Avenue and what is the timetable for this location?
The current plans call for construction in March 2009. Although we are currently working on the details for the
entrances and ancillary structures of the stations, we anticipate that there will be no more than a single story. We will be presenting our plans to the Second Avenue Subway Task Force of Community Board #8 in the upcoming
months.
21. At the last meeting, the MTA noted that representatives would be visiting individual homes to interview residents and provide relocation assistance. When do you plan to come to the 72nd Street apartments?
Early 2007.
22. Are you taking the wall, which separates Patsy’s, and 301 East 69th Streets? Where will the entrance to 301 East 69th Street be located? Is there a separation?
The entrance construction is wholly within the area of the restaurant and does not extend into the residential portions of the building, based upon the plans that have been made available to us. The entrance to 301 East 69th Street will remain in its current location. There is a wall separating the subway entrance from the residential areas of the building.
23. Will there be elevator access for 72nd Street or 96th Street stations and will this elevator be from the
street to the platform?
There will be elevator access at each station from street level to the station mezzanine level where the fare
control is located. Once through the fare control there will be elevator access from the mezzanine level to the
platform. The elevator access from street level to mezzanine level for the 96th Street Station is located on the southwest corner of 96th Street and Second Avenue within the open plaza. The elevator for 72nd Street Station
is located on the southeast corner of 72nd Street and Second Avenue within the sidewalk.
24. Please describe any changes to the property at 94th Street and Second Avenue?
An entrance will be located within the existing commercial space (Rainbow Hardware) on the southwest corner of 94th Street. It will consist of an escalator and a stair to connect street level to mezzanine level. On the northeast corner a new entrance will be added adjacent to the west face of the building, within the open plaza, extending into the sidewalk. In order to accommodate this entrance a sidewalk bump-out will be required on Second Avenue. This entrance will have 3 escalators from street level down to mezzanine level.
25. Please address the following hardships caused by construction of the Second Avenue Subway:
a) The narrowing of Second Avenue causing bumper-to-bumper traffic at all hours, horns blowing, pollution from the dust and filth and also the noise of drilling and the general construction noise?
b) The rat problem that will be created from such construction. The difficulty of walking on broken
streets and sidewalks.
c) The loss of our neighborhood amenities, businesses, convenience stores, restaurants and outdoor cafes.
a) The Second Avenue Subway Project has committed to maintaining as many as four moving lanes of traffic
through the construction areas. Second Avenue is currently six lanes wide with parking on both sides
through most of this area. In order to accomplish this, the sidewalks on both sides of Second Avenue will
be reduced in width to approximately 7 feet (except in some areas where obstructions make this impossible). As the construction is progressed, approximately half the width of Second Avenue will be turned over to the Contractor for his work. The remaining width will be used to route three car lanes and a wider bus lane around the work area. One lane of traffic will be relocated onto the area previously
occupied by the sidewalk during this period. We are currently working with NYCDOT to develop a Traffic Enforcement Plan and a Traffic Monitoring Plan for the affected section of Second Avenue, which through the use of cameras and sensors would provide up-to-the-minute traffic conditions to the NYCDOT Traffic Management Center near the
Queensboro Bridge. This will allow NYCDOT to dispatch traffic enforcement agents to the area to keep traffic moving.
b) The FEIS includes a discussion of the Vector (vermin) Control Program for Second Avenue Subway. All sidewalks and roadways are to be maintained by the contractor so as to pose no hazard to pedestrians and vehicles during the construction. All temporary walkway surfaces are required to be non-slip, sound and smooth for walking. Roadway decking will be precast concrete sections installed on a steel frame to permit work under the street. This system has been used in other areas of the city such as in Times Square and there is a proven track record with regard to minimization of noise on these types of systems.
c) While some of the outdoor cafes which encroach on the sidewalks under a revocable consent with NYC
will have to be removed during the construction, the Second Avenue Subway project intends to provide pedestrian access, delivery zones and alternate access for all currently operating businesses or commercial spaces in the area with the exception of those affected by station entrances or ancillary spaces. For further discussion of the items raised above, consult the FEIS.
26. When is the building at the northwest corner of 69th Street and Second Avenue going to be torn down? When are you evicting the tenants?
Tenants need to be relocated by mid 2008.
27. Why does the northwest station at 72nd Street have to take entire residential buildings, not just stores and basements? When will information be distributed to rent stabilized tenants that are subject to displacement?
In addition to an entrance for passengers, at the end of the station there is a need for emergency egress stairs and ventilation ducts. These require a considerable amount of space. The ventilation ducts must take in and discharge air well above ground level and away from existing windows. This cannot be achieved within the ground floor and basement level of an existing building and there is no land available for a freestanding structure. Information will be distributed in late 2007.
28. When construction is completed who will monitor the air quality at the various ventilation stations?
(See response to Question #12)
29. I currently am a resident at 245 East 93rd Street. The traffic that goes by shakes the current apartment, how can you add an entrance to 94th Street that would add to the possible instability of 245 East 93rd Street? When does the MTA plan to meet with tenants at 245 East 93rd Street? Can the selection of entrances at the 96th Street station be reexamined?
While the entrance that is planned in the Rainbow Hardware space passes through the ground floor and basement of your building, it is anticipated that the completed construction will have minimum long-term impacts on your building. For a full discussion of guidelines on operational and construction vibrations, consult the FEIS. Meetings for individual buildings are generally held with the building owner or building manager. MTA does not meet with individual tenants to discuss the project unless there is a relocation issue pending. We have and will continue to meet with the building manager/owner of 245 East 93rd Street. The selection of the entrance locations at the 96th Street station was based upon projected ridership numbers and their origin/destination. The entrance locations were also selected based upon minimizing impacts to residential units, distance between entrances, connections to other modes of transportation and connection to the public mezzanines. Two of the current entrances for the 96th Street Station are located in open plazas and one falls within a commercial space. Any other location would have more adverse affects than the ones selected. The other corners typically have 4-6 story walkups that typically hold 12 to 18 residential units as well as one or two commercial units at street level.
30. My question is specifically regarding the ancillary structure at 63rd Street Plaza and Third Avenue.
a) Noise impact of ventilation, air tempering and power transformers?
b) Air impact at street level and above into high-rise residential apartments and townhouses?
c) What will the structure look like?
d) How long will the structure take to build?
e) Will tracks on 63rd Street be new and have more soundproofing?
a-d) As noted in the answer to Question #19, we are currently working on the details for this location. We will
be presenting our plans for entrances and ancillary facilities at 63rd Street and 3rd Avenue to Community Board
8’s Second Avenue Subway Task Force in the coming months.
e) Tracks are already in place within the existing station. All new tracks, including the section connecting to
the existing Lexington/63rd Street Station, will have polymer ties on concrete track bed with neoprene gaskets
most suitable for stability, and noise and vibration isolation. * Note: The FEIS can be viewed by going to www.mta.info and clicking on Capital Construction and then
Second Avenue Subway.
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